Author: Andy Nelson

Rhode Island is the smallest state in the nation, but it's still inconvenient to have to drive to one of its two casinos to bet on sports. The state Senate took a step toward enhancing the Rhode Island sports betting industry Wednesday by voting to allow mobile wagering within the state through the Twin Rivers casinos. Following a 31-4 vote, the bill goes to…

Howdy, y'all! Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly roundup of all the sports betting goings-on in statehouses across the country. And there have been plenty of goings-on over the last week, including the addition of two more states to our map. Here are the vitals for US sports betting right this instant: States with regulated sports betting: 8 Jurisdictions pending launch: 3 States with bills on…

A new Minnesota sports betting bill takes a unique approach to handling the tax rate for the industry. Rather than tax the gross gaming revenue for operators, legislation announced Wednesday by Rep. Pat Garofalo is the first in the nation to calculate tax obligations based on the total amount wagered. Garofalo spoke to Legal Sports Report about why he chose to address the tax rate in…

New Mexico is a state known for its conspiracy theories, but an author of a bill prohibiting the state lottery from offering sports betting tells Legal Sports Report that the legislation is as simple as it seems. The legislature wants to rein in the New Mexico Lottery Authority from plans for a new game that would be tied to the outcome of sporting events. The…

With New York sports betting slowly becoming a reality, it appears not all voters in the state feel the same way about betting from their smartphones. According to a new Siena College poll, exactly 44 percent of voters support and opposethe idea of online sports betting. The other 12 percent said they had no opinion. For those out of the loop, the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC)…

As sports betting in America continues to expand, it seemed inevitable that casinos and media conglomerates would begin pairing off. On Thursday, one such partnership emerged. Turner Sports announced in a press release that it reached a “first-of-its-kind agreement” with Caesars Entertainment. The joint venture will allow Turner to develop “gaming-themed content” for sports fans. The sportsbook at Caesars Palace Las Vegas will soon become the home of a Bleacher Report-branded studio. While…

This story has been updated. Maryland sports betting could prove profitable for the state lottery under a bill introduced late last week. Still outstanding, however, is the question of whether Maryland voters would need to approve legal sports betting. The bill dropped by Dels. Jason Buckel and Kevin Hornberger would authorize the Maryland Lottery to conduct sports betting. Under the lottery's oversight, state horse…

A bill that essentially hands the DC sports betting contract to current lottery provider Intralot comes before the district council Tuesday morning. The wisdom behind bypassing a competitive bidding process in the name of speed continues to raise concerns in Washington, D.C. A Washington Post editorial Monday lambasted the council for its handling of the bidding, calling it a “sickening spectacle”: “Horses, whether on…

The chairman of The Walt Disney Company does not see his company — which owns ESPN — getting into ‘facilitating gambling' any time soon. That came from Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger in fielding a question about sports betting in Disney's most recent earnings call. What Disney said on sports betting Here is what Iger said in response to Disney's aspirations on sports…

State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. is concerned that NY sports betting is falling behind as New York City residents become accustomed to wagering in New Jersey. If the state waits three years to go through a constitutional amendment process to offer mobile NY sports betting, it could condition residents to stick with NJ sports betting permanently. Addabbo, who represents Queens, tells Legal Sports Report he received emails…